Lost I.D. Disc Given Soldier's Survivors

Fort Leavenworth, KS – A chance discovery on a Fort Leavenworth physical training field has made a connection between two people, one of them recently killed in combat. KCUR's Dan Verbeck has the story.

There's a lot of distance in rank between a mid level enlisted man and a full colonel. The two classes don't mix much. But this was different.

Specialist Bradley Benham was doing a phys-ed workout with his colleagues from the post's Munson hospital and he'd carried the company flag to the field and stuck it in the ground. When he picked it back up, he spotted a dogtag on the grass, lying there who knows how long?

Melinda Griffin is a staff sergeant who works with Benham and describes--"another specialist had pointed out a story in the newspaper that a Colonel McHugh had passed away in Afghanistan. He couldn't believe it because "John McHugh" was the name on the i.d. tag and he said, 'if this is the same guy, what should i do?' And I said, 'what would you want done in this situation?' And he said, 'I'd like to make a plaque for the family, something that represents Munson and us, giving our condolences.'"

McHugh was killed May 18th by a terrorist car bomb. So, the plaque was made. John McHugh's widow and four of his five children were at home when Benham brought it to them.